This disclosure relates generally to devices that are capable of connecting to and communicating via wireless networks, and in particular to privacy enhancements for such devices and networks.
Wireless networks have become commonplace. Many individuals have established such networks in their homes for use by residents and guests. Business enterprises large and small provide wireless networks for their employees and/or visitors, and many business establishments that serve the public (e.g., coffee shops, hotels, conference venues, and the like) offer wireless network connections to their patrons. Such networks typically conform to with Wi-Fi® networking standards and protocols promulgated by the Wi-Fi Alliance (referred to herein as “Wi-Fi networks”).
Wireless networks such as Wi-Fi networks can be accessed using a wireless device, which can be any electronic device that is capable of sending and receiving data using the wireless transport and signaling protocols specified for the network. In a Wi-Fi network protocol, a wireless device can locate a base station for a wireless network using a process referred to as scanning. Scanning can include passively listening on allowed wireless channels for beacon signals from base stations that are broadcasting a network name (e.g., a “service set identifier,” or “SSID”). Some networks may be “hidden,” such that the base station does not broadcast a network name. In that case, the wireless device can perform an active scan, in which the wireless device broadcasts a beacon signal that includes the network name (e.g., SSID), and a base station that has that network name can respond to the wireless device to allow the wireless device to detect that the network is present.
Once a desired network has been detected, the wireless device can send a request to join the network, which the base station can either grant or deny. For example, in the case of a secure network, the base station may require the wireless device to prove that it is in possession of an access credential (e.g., a password, security certificate, or the like) and may deny access to any wireless device that cannot provide the required proof. Open networks may allow any wireless device to join the network without any particular credential, subject only to constraints on available resources (e.g., a limit on the number of devices that can be concurrently connected). Once joined (or connected) to the network, the wireless device can communicate with the base station and with any other device or system to which the base station is connected. For instance, many wireless base stations operate as access points for accessing a wide-area network, such as the Internet. Thus, by joining a wireless network, a wireless device is able to provide Internet access to a user. In combination with mobile user devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, and laptop computers, wireless networks offer the convenience of access to the world's leading repository of information (the Internet) from virtually anywhere.